EPISODE 20
The pain was unbearable, but as soon as I heard his first cry, everything else faded.
He is a boy.
My son had arrived.
Sweat clung to my skin as I cradled the small, fragile life in my arms. He was perfect. Tiny, warm, and full of life. His little fists clenched the air as his cries filled the small cabin, his scent unmistakably that of a newborn werewolf.
My chest ached, but not from pain.
This time, it was something else. Love. An overwhelming surge of love unlike anything I had ever known.
The first to find out was one of my brothers. He had come under the cover of night, as he always did, bringing supplies and food. But this time, as he stepped inside, his breath hitched, and his eyes went wide with shock.
“Maurice…?” His voice trembled. “You-? You already gave birth?”
I nodded, exhaustion weighing heavily on me. He looked like he had seen a ghost, his hands shaking as he set the supplies down.
“The pack thought… We thought you had months left.” He let out a breathy, nervous laugh. I can tell from his paling face that he was worried. I could not help but chuckle.
“Gods, Maurice, why are you laughing? You could’ve died! You were alone this whole time.”
I didn’t respond. There was no need. I survived, and so had my son.
Tentatively, my brother stepped closer, his gaze softening as he looked at the baby nestled against my chest. Then, as his eyes roamed over the newborn’s tiny features, a flicker of something else crossed his face.
Realization.
“This child’s father,” he murmured. “It is Daniel.”
There was no denying it. The resemblance was striking, too striking. The baby had Daniel’s dark hair, his sharp features, golden eyes, and even carried a hint of his scent. There was nothing of me in him. And yet, I felt no resentment, no sorrow.
He was my son, and I would love him unconditionally.
Unlike Daniel, I would raise him properly. He was meant to be Alpha, a leader. And I would make sure he grew up with honor, with dignity, with the heart of a true protector, not a ruler who let power blind him.
The old healer was the next to learn of his birth. She arrived that evening, hobbling inside with her worn hands and knowing eyes.
“Let me see him,” she said softly, kneeling beside me.
She unwrapped the blankets and studied him, her face breaking into a rare smile. “He’s strong,” she said with quiet pride. “Full of vitality. His cries shake the house, just as an Alpha’s should.” The baby wailed as if to prove her point. The healer chuckled, wrapping him back up before
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turning to me.
“And you,” she continued, pressing a hand against my forehead, then to my stomach. “You’re well. Your body is strong. A few herbs will help with the pain, but you have done beautifully,
child.”
I exhaled, relieved, happiness washing over me.
From that moment on, word spread. I had given birth.
Many people come to check on me, to check on my baby. Though, they did not come inside the shack. They simply stayed around, hiding behind the woods, lurking and checking on me. They wanted to see the baby and its looks, curiosity filling their thoughts.
But Daniel did not come.
Not that day. Not the next. Not the one after.
I knew why. He had spent so long believing I had betrayed him, convinced that the child I carried belonged to another man. The thought of seeing my son terrified him. It was easier to turn away. To ignore the truth rather than face it.
Then, on the eighth day, I stepped outside for the first time, my son in my arms.
Gasps rippled through the small crowd gathered beyond the trees. Their eyes darted between me and the baby, their faces pale with guilt. Because there was no denying it now.
The child looks a lot like Daniel!
Not some rogue’s child. Not a mark of shame or betrayal.
All this time, they had accused me of things I never did, cast me out for a sin I never committed. And now, with the proof in my arms, they stood frozen in their regret.
It wasn’t until the next day that Daniel heard the truth.
Only then did he realize the grave mistake he had made. Only then did he finally move, rushing to find me.
But he was too late.
When Daniel arrived, the cabin was empty. He stepped inside, his breath shuddering. He walked to the cot, to the fireplace, to every corner where my presence still remained. And then, as realization dawned, he fell to his knees.
The scent of me still lingered in the air, mixed with something else. Something new. The scent of
his newborn son.
Tears slipped down his face. Silent. Hopeless.
Regret.
So much regret.
He had wasted too much time being cruel, being blind, being a fool. And now, he would never see me again. Never see his son. Never undo the choices that led us here.
Regret. That was all he had left.
Far from that empty cabin, I was already moving forward.
Across the vast, empty lands, rogue wolves traveled with me, guiding me toward a new beginning and finding another safe land. This time, they were already expecting to finally find a
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place they can call home. Among them were Yvette and Julio, the first wolves who had treated me like family.
They welcomed me back without hesitation, without judgment.
And I did not look back.
As I cradled my son, the future stretched before me, vast and unknown. But I was not afraid.
“I will protect you,” I whispered, pressing a kiss on his soft forehead. “No matter what.”
The past was behind me. The pack, Daniel, all of it, left in the ashes of a life I would never return
- to.
This was our new beginning. And for the first time, I had hope.
Spring had come at last.
THE END
